MERIDIAN, Idaho — Michelle Galloway, 62, won her division at the 2026 IMWA World Masters Weightlifting Championships in Athens. She also reclaimed the Masters world record in the snatch.
But Galloway's journey to the world stage started long before she stepped onto the competition platform.
WATCH: 62-year-old Meridian woman wins world weightlifting title
She said she spent seven years bedridden with an undiagnosed illness.
“My back hurt, my feet hurt. I couldn't hold my grandbabies for very long. Everything just hurt,” Galloway said.
After eventually beginning to recover, Galloway moved to Boise and discovered the Highland Games. She later signed up for a kettlebell class, where she began training consistently.
That eventually led her to Olympic-style weightlifting and competitive events.
Galloway said she went from competing in 15 events in one year to qualifying for national and world competitions.
After turning 60, she looked up the world records for her age group and realized the numbers were within her reach.
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“I showed them to my coach. I'm like, ‘Are these real? These are numbers that I do all the time,’” she said.
She eventually broke all three world records in Finland.
After later losing the snatch record to a competitor from Australia, Galloway was determined to get it back.
In Athens, she opened at 48 kilograms, followed by 51 kilograms. Then her coach called for more.
“Coach said 55. I said, let's go,” Galloway said. “Put 55 on the bar. I lifted it and I got the world record back.”
She made the lift.
For Galloway, though, the biggest victory isn't the medal or the record.
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"A couple of years ago I was out at Jump Creek, I had one grandbaby on my shoulder, one on my hip. And I'm walking across the little stepping stones and I said, 'That's my gold medal,'" she said.
Galloway now hopes her story encourages other women to get stronger and discover what they're capable of.
Tom Kudera, a YMCA coordinator, said Galloway's example gives others hope that they can improve their quality of life, too.
Galloway said she plans to continue training and competing while helping other women find their own strength.
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been, in part, converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
